Windy City Gridiron: FanPosts

Bears 2010 schedule released.

2009-11-20T21:53:03Z

The Bears 2010 teams have been released, pending the "corresponding finishers." Using this year as a basis, it's not the worst you've ever seen, but it could be pretty tough, especially if some of those teams that are solid running teams keep running, and we keep not bothering to stop teams from doing what they feel.

Here's the link, and some thoughts below.

Home: Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, New England Patriots, New York Jets, NFC West corresponding finisher, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings

Away: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, NFC South corresponding finisher, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings

Philadelphia again, eh? That's always fun...at least these recent ones we beat them. Washington is schizo--but they're one of those teams that might go hogwild with no cap. They could potentially buy themselves some upgrades.

The Patriots are the Patriots...they seem to contend. The Jets could be good, but that vaunted Ryan defense is going to need a few more playmakers, and Sanchez is going to have to get consistently stronger at making good judgements.

Our division is our division. We all know it.

The Dallas team, as it's currently comprised, seems like one of those teams that's just never going to be good enough. They have flashes, sometimes look great, and other times...wow. Just wow.

It's hard to say yet if Eli has truly regressed, or is just having a down period. Still, the Giants are a solid, if unspectacular team, and will probably maintain that level next year.

Buffalo...could be interesting? Depends if they land who they'd like to land to run things, but even then I'd imagine they need a year or two to get well-rounded. Miami can run, and run, and Henne manages that team pretty well. Bess is having a really great year for himself right now, and hopefully can continue it. (I like the guy.)

At this rate, like Biggs says in the article, you're likely looking at Seattle and the Panthers, though maybe the next 6 weeks can get really interesting.

So what say you, Bears Fans? Who's optimistic for next year, and where are the doomsayers? I command you---Discuss!

Garrett Wolfe Out For the Year (Updated)

2009-11-20T15:40:19Z

Garrett Wolfe has a lacerated kidney that will sideline him the rest of the year. So who is out there? Larry Johnson looks very tantalizing right now but our old nemisis Cincinnatti picked him up. We are getting really thin at this position. Can you say Tiki Barber?

Trade deadline has passed so if Matt Forte gets hurt, we are in deep trouble. It looks to me like the Bears are going to have to scour the practice squads of every team in the NFL to find some back-ups. This is due to their reluctance to sign NFL players that become available. I guess they figure they will never need the help.

UPDATE: Bears officially place Wolfe on IR. We should see someone replace him soon, so as not to have to reduce the number of players on the practice squad. Helmet-tip to Brad Biggs!

UPDATE #2: Kahlil Bell upgraded from practice squad to 53 man roster.

Key Player to keep an eye on: LeSean McCoy

2009-11-20T03:49:39Z

via hawkfantasysports.files.wordpress.com

Yes I know Philly is not famous for running the football, and yes I know that Brian Westbrook is out for Sunday's night must win game. So why is LeSean McCoy this week Key player to keep an eye on? Remember how some of us was so concern with Fitzgerald and Boldin a week ago, yet we get steam rolled by Hightower and Wells? The same thing can happen this Sunday night if the Bears don't account for the run. LeSean McCoy is a very good runner and receiving threat out of the backfield. Even though he is a rookie, he is capable of putting animpact on the game. For the Bears defense to contain Philly explosive offense, they are going to have to make them one dimensional by shutting down McCoy. If the Bears get too concern with Desean Jackson and Jermey Maclin on the outside, then the Bears can get embarrassed on Sunday Night football for third time this season.

I Got this Backer's Back

2009-11-19T12:18:20Z

Overrated, over paid, washed-up, past his prime. These are a few of the words that have recently been used to describe Chicago Bears middle linebacker Brian Urlacher. A 2005 Defensive Player of the Year award, six Pro Bowl appearances, consistently leading the team in tackles every year and providing locker room leadership has never been enough for people searching or hoping for the next Dick Butkus. #54 has played with numerous ailments over the last few years; he was the man in the middle of a defense that has been on the field for far too many plays thanks to an offense that struggles year after year. Yet through it all, Urlacher has never criticized his teammates or coaches. He has never given anything less than 110% in games and in practice. But still, we want him gone. Trade him for Boldin! Trade him for Marshall! Hell, trade him for any receiver west of the Mississippi!

Now, nine games into the 2009 season the Bears defense has been the worst it’s ever been under Lovie Smith. We have had two games where we have given up 31 points by half time. Two games, 31 by half time! This embarrassing feat has only previously been accomplished five times in Bears history, and considering the Bears were a founding NFL franchise, that is a pretty long history. We've tried to fill the void in the middle with veterans and regular starters, Nick Roach and Hunter Hillenmeyer. Though very serviceable and commendable, these two have struggled. Hillenmeyer has the brains, Roach has the athleticism. A hybrid of these two would be perfect....oh wait, we have that standing on the sideline with a cast on his right arm and a scowl on his face. The Bears run a Cover 2 defense; in this defensive scheme you must have a Mike linebacker that has the athleticism of a defensive back and the smarts of a coach (maybe other teams' coaches). NFL football may be the most physically demanding sport there is, but the game is still 95% mental. I feel this is where Urlacher is missed the most. As his physical skills decline, his football knowledge rises.

Urlacher has played hard for our Bears since 2000 and has had a number of great years. Yet, I think this year, his tenth in the league, after only playing one half of football is his most revealing. Leader, unappreciated, needed, important. These are the words that should define Brian Urlacher.

Years of neglecting the Offensive Line finally catching up with Angelo

2009-11-19T09:22:43Z

via a.espncdn.com

The acquisition of Jay Cutler for Jerry Angelo should feel like the gift and the curse to him. The Gift, Jerry Angelo finally has his franchise QB that he’s been struggling to land since he was general manager in Tampa Bay. The Curse, It really exposes how much Angelo struggles bringing in offensive talent through the draft. The Proof is in the pudding, when you look at the talent on the offensive line. You draft Chris Williams who is a finesse LT, and put him on the Right side. I really hope they are not banking on Williams to work out at RT especially when they could have had a proto typical RT in Jeff Otah. You also bring in an aging LT to protect your new franchise QB. Yes Orlando Pace is a future Hall of Fame player, but that should have been Chris Williams’s job. Instead Jerry and the coaching staff thought it was such the wonderful idea to put an aging LT next to a guy playing LG for the first time. I am not down on Omiyale playing tackle, but here’s another guy that had no business starting, especially when your starter at LG last season was blowing him away in training camp competition. The way Angelo tried to fixed this O-line, there’s no wonder Cutler has looked like he regress and Forte looks like he’s going through a sophomore slump. I refuse to believe Forte is the next Anthony Thomas and I also refuse to believe Cutler is the next Rex Grossman. Yes Jerry it all starts with the quarterback, but you also need a wall to protect him, not a bunch of turn styles. You need to draft and have your coaching staff develop these guys, not skip over talent like Duke Robinson in the 5th round only to select a LB that didn’t even have a shot at making the roster. The majority of teams around the league build their offensive lines through the draft (Carolina, New England, and Indy are perfect examples) not the scrap heap in free agency. If Angelo never neglected the O-line after the 06 season, he wouldn’t have to reach for average to below average offensive lineman in free agency. The only time Angelo should add pieces to O-line through free agency, is if there's a above average to impact player in that class. The 2010 off-season marks an important one for Angelo. It will be the off-season to see if Angelo takes the necessary steps to build a competitive offense around Jay Cutler. We will find out soon if Angelo is capable of changing the culture on offense, now that he has his franchise QB.

Outlandish Ideas That Could HelpThe Bears Out Of Their Freefall.

2009-11-19T05:48:50Z

Where do we start with this Post? This post needs to start in the Red Zone. The following suggestions will be scoffed at, poked fun of and laughed at. I'm okay with that as I have a thick skin. I will however make a sincere effort to keep the Spell Police at bay.

1. Red Zone Package:

Out: Devin Hester and his 5 foot 11 inch frame. Replacement: The biggest TE on the Bears line up Kellen Davis lines up at Wide out. 6 Foot 7' and 262 pounds.

Out: FB Jason Mckie, he has not opened a hole inside the Five Yard line all Year. Replacement: Marcus Harrison at Fullback. 6 Foot 3' - 310 pounds to open up a hole for Matt Forte. Need I remind anyone of one William ' The Fridge' Perry?

Out: WR Earl Bennett, has he even been in the Endzone this Year? Replacement: Devin Aromashodu, Jay's favorite receiver. At 6 foot 2' he is our tallest Receiver. A team needs their tallest Receiver to be in the game in that situation.

Calling all TIght Ends! Desmond Clark and Greg Olsen, 6 Foot 5' , 262# round out the Red Zone Package. So we have our biggest Receivers and add a monster in the backfield to get the job done.

2. A Ball Hawk: When is the last time we seen the Bears jump a route? I seen in in 2006 and have not seen a lot of it since. We have been mired in the bend but don't break Defense for some time now. We need to take a chance sometimes is obvious passing situations. Receivers run slants, outs, ins, post, how about a Bears Defender takes a chance and jumps in front of the stop point? All I ever see is a zone of Defenders in front of and behind Receivers. I nominate Nathan Vasher. Set him free Lovie! set him free.

3. Max Protect Package: What is a Max Protect? In my mind it's when you have your usual 5 linemen and a Tight End on each end for 7 on the line. This Leaves 2 Receivers and a Back. In this formation you could leak out a TE if you desire. Other NFL teams use this formation but it must be a concept that does not exist in Ron Turners brain. I stop to woner what Jay Cutler could do if he had an extra 1 or 2 seconds to throw the ball. We have had what appeared to be a Max Protect formation at times but Ronny always runs out of it. Yes, the Bears are predictable again on Offense.

4. I saved the best for last: Devin Hester out as starting Receiver. Devin needs to remain a third Receiver because that is all the former Defensive back out of college is going to be. He goes back to where he was a success and is full time Kick Returner. By making him the third Receiver he has gas in the tank to pull off the big runs just like the good old days. His replacement, Devin Aromashodu, a player actually drafted as a Wide Receiver out of college.

Conclussion: There is an old saying, ' if it isn't broke don't fix it'. Well it's broken and they need to fix it now. What they have implemented thus far is a FAILURE. I welcome any other suggestions that help this team get better. Thank you.

Now is the time to give thanks for what we have

2009-11-19T05:39:49Z

With about a week to go until Thanksgiving I was sitting here taking a moment to reflect on what I'm thankful for. I've got a fantastic son, a wonderful job, and nothing but good things on the horizon on a personal and professional level. With all of these very good things, it brought me back to what has been a very disappointing season for the Chicago Bears at this point in the season. However, this isn't the time of year for would haves, could haves, bad coaching, bad general managing, and human turn-stiling. This is the time of year where everyone takes a few moments to be thankful for the good things that we have, and the good things we have to look forward to.

There are tons of things to be thankful for even with the embarrassing state of the team at the moment, but I'm going to stick to my top 5. I encourage everyone to post a few things they are thankful for, and if they feel like it a personal thing they are thankful for as well.

Pro tip: If you can't think of anything, you can always be thankful you aren't a cheese head.

1. We have a legitimate high level QB in this league with talent in spades, and we have him locked up for the foreseeable future.

For what we all may think about his red zone interceptions there isn't any kind of question about Jay Cutler's talent. He can make every single throw on the field, and make them in windows that very few other QB in the league would have a chance of making. He has a great ability extend the play, better than most of the QB in the league at that facet of the game, and certainly much better than any quarterback that has graced the Bears franchise in years and years and years. On top of this he's still a relatively young quarterback that has room to grow. He's a veteran by virtue of experience, but he certainly hasn't hit his seasoned wise veteran QB status yet like your Peyton Manning, or Tom Brady. I'm sure we're all hoping he gets to grow into that status with an offensive line that is built around him, but until then for the first time since Jim McMahon we have a distinct lack of quarterback controversy and clamoring for the backup in the Windy City, and in this case silence is definitely golden.

2. The Devin Hester experiment is starting to pay off in a huge way, and could end up being a very smart move by Bears brass.

Devin Hester is in the top three for the most electrifying return men of all time, and holds the number one slot in my book. It's because of this fact and his unquestioned talent in the return game that made myself and many other fans weary of the idea of infecting him with DMS by putting him on the offensive side of the ball as a WR, and even more gasps from the gallery when it was announced that his returning duties would be lessened to get him more time on the offense. What a difference a year makes? Devin Hester has improved by leaps and bounds and is quickly becoming a threat to opposing defenses all over the field. While we always knew he had afterburners for legs and figured he'd be good for a bomb or two a year, this year his route running and knowledge of the offense has drastically improved. The Windy City Flyer is now pulling down tough passes across the middle, and hanging onto the ball after some tough hits. Simply put, Devin Hester is growing into at the very least a fantastic number two receiver and quite possibly the best option we've had a receiver since Waddle or Gault.

3. Johnny Knox appears to be one of the biggest steals in the 2009 draft, and is only getting better.

It's not often that what appeared to be an immense black hole on the offense turns out to be one of the few highlights of a season. Our WR corp was fairly abysmal last year, and has been for quite some time. Even the one known as Berrian that Bears fans clamored for, well at least until they heard his contract demands, was little more than a speedy number two that avoided contact. The years of the Moose came and went, Booker rose from the dead only to be sent back to the graveyard. Then out of nowhere a player we grab with a pick we received in the Cutler trade shows some real promise in the preseason, and only continues to rapidly improve every time we see him on the field. He's easily a match in speed for one of the speediest players in the league, his fellow receiver Hester, and his ability to pick up finer points of the game as quickly as he has speaks volumes towards his ability to improve in the future. It's not often that a first year receiver has any impact, let alone the impact Fort Knox has already had, and even more rare for it to come from a fifth round pick.

4. Lance Briggs is locked up in a long term deal that should last until the "end" of his career.

We had an ugly situation and contract dispute with Lance Briggs that looked to all outside observers, Bears management, and even Briggs himself to be ending with Lance playing for another team. Of course, we all know this ended with Briggs signing a six year deal in '08 locking him up until he's 33 years old and on his way out of the league. Easily one of the luckiest things to end up happening to this team as Briggs is now the sole member of the starting LB group that is still on the field, and is the only player on the defensive side of the ball that should be proud of his performance virtually every single down on the field. It's definitely good to know that even though we're due for some significant retooling because of injury, age, and otherwise that we have a rock solid foundational player to build off of with Lance standing behind the line.

5. We're starting to see some of the toughness that Greg Olsen originally appeared to be lacking, and an increase in the skill of Kellen Davis.

When Greg Olson was originally drafted it looked like a first round steal, a player that was easily the best tight end in that years draft and a legitimate top 15 player fell into our laps and we hopped on it. Since that initial honeymoon period things have been a bit rocky in the relationship for all manner of reasons. Some of it stemming from being behind an aging but still extremely game Dez Clark, some of it stemming from learning the game speed and becoming a more reliable blocker in the backfield, and some stemming from a lack of play calling support. No matter the reason, Olson has been looked at as a possible breakout player since the first year he entered the league and he's finally starting to show it this year. Greg has finally garnered enough notice that it appears opposing defenses are setting two people to the task of shutting him down due to the threat he represents. The questions about his toughness and hands have started be silenced by some fantastic catches he's made this year, and the rapport he's started to build with Cutler is becoming more evident every game. With the increased ability being shown by all members of the WR group from Hester and Knox, to the second year man Bennett it won't be long until defenses can not afford to dedicate two men to stopping him on most plays.

On a related note, Kellen Davis has finally started to show some promise as well filling in for the injured Clark who is entering the twilight of his career. Finally showing some flashes he may yet prove to be a valuable second TE for our 2TE sets, as long as can increase his blocking ability over the next few years.

So those are the things I'm thankful for on our beloved Chicago Bears, what about the rest of you? What bright points are dragging you back to the bar every week to watch our Bears attempt to stay in the playoff picture? What good things are going on in your life that make the bitter medicine of our current predicament a bit easier to swallow?

PhotoShop Contest: Pat Mannelly

2009-11-19T04:45:01Z

The recent reprisal of the PhotoCaption Contest was a bit of a bust, so why not take a stab at a good old fashioned 'Shop contest?

Rules are simple:

- Keep it SFW

- Wreck your favorites!

PhotoShop Patrick Mannelly... the awesome hair, the sexy goatee, the pearly-whites... Mr. MVP!

Poll

Is Pat Mannelly awesome?

Why aren't the Bears using Devin Aromashodu more often?

2009-11-19T02:53:06Z

In the NFL, you've got to have some tall wide receivers. The Bears don't have any, and their tallest receiver, who is DA ( 6'2) has only one catch for 10 yards. His first game as a receiver this season came against the 49ers with less than 17 seconds to play. Here's a guy who battled his butt off in spring training and Jay Cutler couldn't praise him enough.I think he has better hands than Hester, average speed, and an all around descent guy. Teams don't know much about him. Think he's going to be a secret weapon, or what? Personally, I just want to see him play more. He used to be a former Indianapolis Colts. Maybe he got some advice from Wayne, or back then, Harrison.

Lovie Smith Approval Rating Poll

2009-11-17T21:18:27Z

Lovie Smith enters his sixth season as the head coach of the Chicago Bears with a regular season coaching record of 45-35 (.563). Smith’s 45 wins are third most in franchise history, trailing only Hall of Famers George Halas and Mike Ditka. Forty of those 45 regular season wins have come over the previous four seasons, tied for second most in the NFC and sixth most in the NFL during that span. Smith also has a 2-2 postseason record, including an NFC Championship and the Bears first Super Bowl appearance in 21 years (2006), to give him the third-most playoff victories in team history behind the six of Halas and Ditka.

Smith set forth with three stated goals when he was hired as the 13th head coach in Chicago Bears history on January 15, 2004: end the decade of dominance by the Green Bay Packers over the Bears, capture the NFC North Division for Chicago and win the Super Bowl. The Bears have won seven of 10 contests against Green Bay during Smith’s tenure, contributing to Chicago winning the division in 2005 and 2006. Accomplishing his first two directives prior to leading the Bears to within one win of their second Super Bowl title and tenth overall league championship in just his third season at the helm, Smith agreed to a contract extension on February 28, 2007 that maintains his position with the team through 2011.

Leading Chicago to division titles in 2005 and 2006, Smith joined Ditka as the only coaches in team history to lead the team to consecutive division titles. He is the first coach in team history to lead the Bears to the playoffs in two of his first three seasons.

During Smith's first five seasons at the helm, Chicago ranks fourth in the NFL having allowed 18.6 points per game and third with 163 total touchdowns allowed. Chicago gave up the fewest points in the NFC during the 2005 and 2006 seasons, pacing the entire NFL in Smith’s second year with the organization. Under Smith’s tutelage the Bears lead the league by allowing the lowest opponent third-down conversion percentage (32.2%), the lowest opponent red zone scoring efficiency (77.6%) and forcing the most opponent three-and-out drives (283).

Do you approve of Lovie Smith?

Cutler, Brees & Warner

2009-11-17T16:53:21Z

A cursory look at last season's passing leaders will show guys like Cutler, Brees and Warner in the top ten in most catagories.

For example,regarding passes completed and passing yardage they are 1-2-3 (Brees, Warner & Cutler). And so on.

They also had three of the worst defenses in the NFL last season (Saints - 26th, Cardinals - 28th and the Broncos - 30th).

Their team records in 2008?

Saints: 8-8.

Broncos: 8-8.

Cardinals 9-7.

Almost identical. Three of the best passers in 2008 with three of the worst defenses in 2008. Great passing/terrible defenses averaged out to almost identical,average type (8-8, 9-7) records.

By contrast Warner now has the #14th ranked defense (up 14 spots from last season) and is now 6-3. Brees has the #17 ranked defense (up 9 spots from last season) and is now 9-0.

It's pretty simple. The problem with the Chicago Bear is their defense.

They went from being ranked 3rd in 2006, to 16th in both 2007 & 2008. They are currently ranked 19th. Needless to say, they are going in the wrong direction here. Obviously.

Last season the 5 teams with the best winning records in the regular season (Tennessee, Pittsburgh, NY Giants, Indianapolis and Carolina) were ranked #2, #1, #5, #7 and #12 in team defense.

The 4 teams with the next level of best records in 2008 (all 11-5) were Baltimore, New England, Miami and Atlanta. Those teams ranked #3, #8, #9 and #11 in team defense in 2008.

The 9 teams with the best records in 2008 ranked from #1 - #12 in team defense.

75% of the teams in the top 12 in defense in 2008 had the best records (ranging from 11-5 to 13-3) in 2008. That's not a coincidence.

Charles Tillman: Become an Organ Donor

2009-11-17T01:59:25Z

Recently, we were contacted by an outside source about making a post regarding Charles Tillman and organ donation.

Chicago Bears cornerback Charles "Peanut" Tillman has tackled a lot in his life. But nothing was more difficult than having to watch his daughter Tiana wait for a lifesaving heart transplant. In September 2008, Tiana received her special gift. Once battling for her life, Tiana now runs around and plays like any other healthy child. Recognizing the dire need for action, Charles has joined forces with Donate Life Illinois to become a strong advocate for the donation community.

Currently, more than 4,700 Illinois residents and 104,000 people nationwide are waiting for lifesaving organ transplants. There is an easy solution to helping save these lives — register to be an organ and tissue donor. Each and every day, Donate Life Illinois works tirelessly to educate the public about the issue and encourage donor registrations.

Here's a link to Tillman talking about the importance of organ and tissue donation.

WCG Is Hiring!

2009-11-17T01:07:14Z

Windy City Gridiron prides itself on being the best Bears blog on the internet, and we are continuing to see outstanding growth in our numbers.

With that, we are currently looking to add to our already awesome staff of writers. Are you someone who would be interested in joining our crew? Here's what we are looking for:

- Someone who has a good grasp of the written English language.

- Someone who can generate fresh ideas for posts... Bears-related of course!

- Someone who is open-minded, and who has time to write an article per week.

- Someone who participates in the community, and can interact with members in the comments section.

If this sounds like something that you might be interested in, shoot me an email and let's see what we can work out. The success of this blog is directly attributed to user-generated content, so we want to continue to look at who we have and what we can do.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Jay Cutler is not the problem

2009-11-15T21:36:27Z

The Bears need to build a team around this quarterback. Jay is one of the better quarterbacks in the league, but when you add the fact that there is no running game with a poor wide receiver corps it will make any quarterback look awful. Peyton Manning would look bad if he played with this years Chicago Bear team. Then add the fact that this teams offensive line is one of the worse in recent memory and it's no surprise why his stats and play is down. The fans should not blame Jay Cutler for an offense that looks anemidec. He has a group of recievers that get bumped so easily from their routes and are scared to go in the middle.

The biggest need for this Bears offense is to have a running back. The pressure is all on Jay to go back and take the snaps. The opposing defenses know this team can't run and are all geared up to improve their sack statistics. They know this poor Cutler has nobody worth to hand the ball off as Matt Forte is the worse starting running back in the league. He can catch a ball thrown to him, but he just can not get past the front defensive line. How is Jay suppose to do good with that O line and Matt Forte lined up behind him. They got one receiever that should just be taking kick offs and others not worth half of what the Bears are paying them. bear fans need to be paitient with this guy much like New Orleans was with Drew Brees. When you surround him with NFL plaers then his production will look much better.

Chicago Bear fans are ready to turn on this man after less than a year in unioform. They need to go back and look at their VCR s and see what the real problem is. Jay Cutler is the last of their problems. He is throwing alot of interceptions now because the offense is totally bad. Things will only improve for Jay Cutler or any future Bear quarterback when the Bears finally decide to add more quality offensive players to the roster. Only then can Chicago Bear fans expect things from any quarterback.

Band-Aids

2009-11-15T19:37:59Z

A mother has to remove a Band-Aid from her young child. She says “Close your eyes. I’m going to rip this Band-Aid off really fast. It will hurt less that way than if I remove it slowly.”

Does it hurt when she rips off the Band-Aid as fast as possible? Yes. .

Would it hurt more if she did it slowly and dragged out the process? Again yes.

The Bears are a disaster. It’s time to make a Band-Aid decision:

Do we want to want to go into the next off season with a Band-Aid approach? That is , with JA and Lovie trying to apply Band-Aids to the patient in the hopes that the patient heals? A patch here and a patch there?

Or do we want to rip off the Band-Aid and replace many of this underachieving team (GM, head coach, assistant coaches and dead weight players)?

I vote for the latter.

The Bears have been a 500 team since their Super Bowl run in 2006. They are underachievers. Recent disasters against Cincinnati, Arizona and San Franciso provide visual, indiisputable evidence of this fact. Once in a while fine. Three in four weeks is completely unacceptable.

They made a huge trade for Jay Cutler, who, with the proper coaching, still has more than enough time to become a franchise QB in the NFL. (Jay Cutler has less interceptions in his first three seasons than HOF’er John Elway or future HOF’er Peyton Manning). Cutler is still a young player. They need to build their team around him and surround him with the best possible coaching (sorry Lovie & Ron).

It’s time for regime change at Halas Hall. It’s now time to open the windows there and air out the building. They desperately need a breath of fresh air and a change of scenery.

I would rather they took a step backwards next season (if that's possible) if it meant that they were able to assemble the nucleus of a team (management, coaches and players) that can compete at a high level on a consistent basis (ala Pittsburgh, New England and Indianapolis). To my knowledge nobody has ever accused anyone in the Steeler organization of being geniuses. They just do things the right way and collect their Lombardi trophies.

Just the thought of listening to Lovie and JA this coming off season talking about how they are going to turn the Bears around in 2010 makes me want to vomit.

At the very least, if that time comes to pass, would someone please have the courtesy of covering their mouths with a couple of Band-Aids. Please.

2010 Free agents

2009-11-15T00:40:52Z

Well we all know things are looking grim for the bears. So what are we going to do? With minimal draft picks in next years draft we are going to have to look towards free agency. Unfortunately that is not looking so hot either.

Here is a good article listing most of the upcoming free agents.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d81423860&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true

So what do you guys think?

Cutler Playing At Night...............A Nightmare.............

2009-11-14T19:15:46Z

We all know Jay Cutler has Diabeties but does it affect him playing at Night? Diabeties affects sight and the lower extremities. I will break down the 3 night games he has played this Year and welcome your comments.

1. Bears @ Green Bay, Sunday Sept. 13, 2009.

A. Jay Cutler........17/36 277 Yards.....1 TD..................4 INT...........QB Rating..........43.2

2. Bears @ Atlanta, Sunday October 18th, 2009.

A. Jay Cutler...............27/43 300 Yards..............2 TD's...............2 INT....................QB Rating..................79.6

3. Bears @ San Francisco............29/52 307 Yards............0 TD.................5 INT..................QB Rating..............33.6

4. The final numbers 6 Day Games combined, Record: 4 Wins - 2 Losses.

A. Jay Cutler...........138/207 1,499 Yards.................11 TD's.................6 INT....................QB Rating..............93.5

5 The final numbers 3 Night Games combined, Record: 0 Wins - 3 Losses.

A. Jay Cutler............73/131 844 Yards.............3 TD's...........11 INT.................QB Rating.............52.0

Conclussion: One could argue that these gawdy numbers are due to a lack of a Running game and the dolts we have on Offensive line are to blame here. What can disput that argument is that his numbers are significantly better in day games played. Your thoughts?

Photo-Caption Contest: What's Harry Saying?

2009-11-14T14:15:52Z

It's been a while since we've done one of these, so why not get it back going?

In this photo, what is Harry Heistand telling Frank Omiyale and Roberto Garza?

Keep the submissions clean, and wreck your favorites!

Remember a time before Jay?

2009-11-14T13:57:16Z

Before the trade for Cutler the big debate was whether or not to draft a WR or OL with the #18 pick. Sure getting Jay was nice and all, but aside from Jay the organization has done nothing to improve itself. We are still in virtually the same position we were before the trade, only with more holes and less opportunities to improve (ie no draft picks).

I like Jay, but the notion that we don't need actual receivers (any receiver will do at this point) because Jay will make our crap ones into gold needs to be retired. A guy who can catch will help a bad QB more than a QB who can throw will help a guy who cannot catch. Brandon Marshall alone has made neckbeard look good.

For years management has focused on defense in the draft. Not only is it now becoming apparent they didn't even do that well as this D is turrible, but also the neglect and/or ineptitude the front office has shown in acquiring skill/position players continues to haunt. Maybe a healthy #54 would have made the D so good that the team could overcome the absence of a solid receiver and/or a lineman who can block... Jay or no Jay this team is basically the '05 squad with bad replacements for anybody who has left since then and no fresh talent to offset aging.

What do Rex Grossman, Kyle Orton, and Jay Cutler all have in common?

2009-11-14T10:06:04Z

The answer is that they have all had Ron Turner as their Offensive Coordinator while playing for the Bears. Jay Cutler was putting up pro bowl numbers in Denver before he came to Chicago and now all of a sudden he is throwing up five picks in a game just like Grossman and Orton did while Ron Turner was their OC. I don't think that there is any coincidence. Kyle Orton, although not necessarily convincingly, is producing great numbers in Denver, while a pro bowl quarterback is producing numbers just like Grossman and Orton did during their stays in Chicago. I would also be willing to bet that if Grossman gets a chance in Houston, he will end up producing good numbers as well.

Unlike most of the sportscasters out there, I personally am not blaming the WR's or offensive line for Cutler's problems (although they aren't necessarily helping him either), I am saying that Ron Turner is to blame. In the entire time that Ron Turner has been the offensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears, the Bears offense has been mediocre at best and I am including the 2006 superbowl year as well as his first stint as Offensive Coordinator. If it weren't for defense and Devin Hester, the 2006 team wouldn't have been alowed anywhere near the stadium the superbowl was played in, much less the game itself.

Sorry, I got sidetracked for a minute, but what I am saying is that most of us including myself at one point or another has said, "Well if we just had a good QB then we would be alright". Well we now have a young pro bowl QB and it is not alright, so when you put 2 and 2 together, you find the common denominator.........Ron Turner. I found a site while trying to find ammunition for this rant that is called fireronturner.net and I think it's great, however, I am wondering if WCG or another die hard bear fan with more time than myself can put a petition together to send to the McCaskey's to fire Ron Turner. I heard that the Kansas City Chief fans put together a petition so that Larry Johnson wouldn't break Priest Holmes' franchise record so why can't us Bears fans put together a petition to fire Ron Turner. I am not saying that the petition is the reason that Kansas City let LJ go, however, it is pretty ironic don't you think.

I don't know who the Bears should hire to replace him, but I personally wouldn't mind having Mike Martz come in. Obvioulsy he appears to be an asshole and is a horrible head coach, but nobody can deny his ability to turn bad offenses into powerhouses. Nobody can deny the fact that he can take mediocre QB's and WR's and make them into statistical beasts. Look at Marc Bulger, Jon Kitna, Mike Furrey, Shaun McDonald, Josh Morgan, and Kurt Warner (although Kurt has mainted elite QB status, but was an unknown until Martz), and Torry Holt (who was drafted the year Martz was OC, then had five out of seven pro bowl years under Martz), etc.

Imagine what he could do with a pro bowl caliber QB instead of an unknown or career backup, a WR that could be the best slot receiver in the league instead of a number one receiver, a great running back that can catch (just like Marshall Faulk), and a WR that was the SEC's all time leading WR that is about to enter his third year next year.

What I am saying is that the Bears have a lot of pieces in place on offense they just need the right OC to utilize their talents, and it is up to us Bears fans to have our voices heard. We should all pull together to get Ron Turner fired because no matter who he has at QB, WR, RB, or TE he just doesn't get the job done, and if he had a real job he would have been fired a long time ago for lack of productivity.